Welcome to The Benchmark
The new hub from the Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court features a diverse range of commentary, analysis, and resources, as well as public opinion polling.
Supreme Court and Reform
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Term Limits Depoliticize the Supreme Court
A fixed schedule for appointments would reduce political manipulation and make the Court more representative. -
How Australia Set a Retirement Age for Judges
Australians voted decades ago to require High Court judges to retire at age 70. -
Why Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices Make Sense
Term limits are good policy and can be implemented by statute, a former federal appeals court judge explains.
Supreme Court Cases
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Birthright Citizenship Shouldn’t Be Up for Debate
The text and history of the 14th Amendment are clear, yet the case is at the Supreme Court. -
Supreme Court Arguments Involved Misleading Claims About Mail Ballots
Comments by both parties and some of the justices included inaccurate information. Voters could pay the price. -
How Supreme Court Rulings on Redistricting Have Undermined Voters of Color
Far from calling balls and strikes, the Roberts Court’s record shows a pattern of altering fundamental rules for our system of elections.
Supreme Court and Public Opinion
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Public Opinion on Term Limits and Other Supreme Court Reforms
An assessment of nine polls shows a general public demand for changes to the appointment process and justices’ tenure. -
25 Years After Bush v. Gore, Supreme Court and Election Law Still Feel the Fallout
The 5–4 decision started a long slide in public approval for the court, accentuated by a widening partisan gap. -
The Supreme Court and Abuse of Power
The justices are supposed to check the president, but who will check the justices?
How the Supreme Court Operates
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How Cases Get to the Supreme Court
Which cases the justices choose to hear has a major impact on Americans’ lives. -
Supreme Court Shadow Docket Tracker — Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
The Court is ruling on challenges to government actions on its emergency docket, often without explaining its decisions or providing guidance to lower courts. -
Strategic Retirements Hurt the Supreme Court. Term Limits Would End Them.
Justices timing their exits to happen under a particular president undermines trust in judicial impartiality.
Major Questions with Jesse Wegman
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Public Opinion, Credible Threats, and the Fezzik Principle
History (and The Princess Bride) shows how to bring the Supreme Court into line with the American people. -
Welcome to Major Questions
The best way to show respect for the Supreme Court is to demand its reform. -
Chief Justice Roberts’s Vendetta Against the Voting Rights Act
He’s been railing against it since the early 1980s.
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